by the walk. Colleen, who asked to only use her first name, moved into the complex two years before Jennifer disappeared believing it was a safe place to live. Det. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And despite telling Detective Wright years ago he knew nothing about Jennifer's disappearance, the Kesses wondered if Chino was being truthful. So, I'm heading now to his last known address where I'm hoping we can find him. Michael Torretta is a private investigator who works for the Kesses. Police say they did not believe Jennifer's case met the criteria for declaring her missing. When they came up with no new leads, he made the unprecedented decision to finally release the files to the Kesses. We miss her every day.. Drew Kesse: That was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. The woman claimed that Chino often approached her in the parking lot late at night when she returned from work and made her feel uncomfortable. She got ready for work and left. Drew Kesse: We were probably on the road within 5 minutes. The 1982 disappearance of Pennsylvania toddler Nicole Lynn Bryner, The Twisted Unsolved Tale of the Johnny Gosch Disappearance: Part 1. Based on interviews with people who lived at the condo complex, he believes that up to 10 construction workers were living in an empty apartment just across from Jennifer's. I have nothing to hide. A new witness, speaking exclusively to Fox News, claims she saw Kesse's black Chevy. The 24-year-old has been missing for 15 years after vanishing one . She was very aware of her surroundings. (Drew Kesse) ORLANDO, Fla. - Drew Kesse, whose daughter Jennifer Kesse has been missing since Jan. 24, 2006,. Peter Van Sant: Why is what the woman at the Mosaic told you important? We were hopeful that someone would recognize just the gait or just the general appearance or the stature or maybe the hairstyle or some aspect of this individual but that didn't happen. Michael Torretta: What I'm thinking is Jennifer comes out. Jennifer Kesse was 24 years old when she vanished in 2006 in Orlando. In order to find out who Chino was, Joel returned to the complex and shown one of the remaining workers a photograph and asked which one was Chino. Later that night when there was still no sign of her, police officially declared Jennifer missing. Two weeks before Jennifers vacation to St Croix, the workers returned to do more touch up work while Jennifer was on the phone to her father, Drew advised Jennifer to give them a piece of Tupperware and have them put the paint in it so she could do it herself. Chino: I met Jennifer Kesse. Tami: There was creepy things like my underwear drawer was tossed one time the shower was wet. One of the people he interviewed on audiotape was a former housekeeper at Jennifer's complex. The case received local and national press attention. Rob Allen: My best friend said to me after the trip, he's like, "Oh you're in love and you just don't want to admit it.". Inside sources reveal brand new bombshell information. Jennifer attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, was in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Rob Allen: When the police officer asked me to follow with him and to look at the inside of the car and the inside of the trunk, my stomach was churning as far as, "What could you find, you know?". On Monday, January 23, on her way into work as a project manager for a time-share company, Jennifer called her mom. A photograph of the person is posted with this case summary. Peter Van Sant: You had nothing to do with her disappearance? We want closure. They spoke around 10 p.m. Her car was found Jan. 26, but little evidence has been found indicating. They had no better luck with the forensics inside Jennifer's car. "She was on a cloud." In fact, Chino had done work in Jennifer's condo just one week before she disappeared. " she was in love. Joel Wright | Orlando Police Department: It appeared that somebody was fighting over control of the car. Doreen Schechter is the producer editor. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. When we asked about Jennifer Kesse, Chino quickly reiterated that he was innocent. She had just gotten promoted," her mother Joyce Kesse told "48. Jennifers new home was in a rough part of Orlando, Florida, but the area was being revitalized. I just think of Jennifer all the time. Thursday, January 26, 2006 a resident of Huntington on the Green the condominium complex notified Orlando police of a vehicle parked in the visitor parking spot. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. On March 18, 2009, Wright interviewed Chino in prison and asked him about that time he worked in Jennifer's condo. Joyce Kesse: As you can imagine we were basket cases. The team spent two days searching, but they did not find anything. His height was estimated between 5-foot-3 inches and 5-foot-5 inches tall. Lauren McCarthy: For me, every milestone that I've had without her has been like a tug of war with my emotions. Unconcluded Podcast Retweeted Find Jennifer Kesse @FindJennKesse SATURDAY | @48hours In January 2006, 24-year old Jennifer Kesse had everything going for her. Orlando Police. Ashley says, at first, she didn't reach out to police. Orlando police determined this vehicle was Jennifer Kesse's. Jennifer's mother Joyce described Jennifer's habits when getting in a car, Kesse disappeared Jan. 24, 2006, after leaving her condo at the Mosaic at Millenia complex for work at Westgate Resorts. And despite evidence that she was at her condo that morning, police pursued a theory that Jennifer may have been abducted the night before. Peter Van Sant: So, these are just some of your daughter's case files? Det. Roger Brennan [at the parking lot]: This is the camera that caught the person that parked Jennifer's vehicle here. Drew Kesse: So, at this point in time, the only people that are truly investigating what happened to Jennifer is us and our team. Chino was one of the workers who did some repairs in Jennifer's condo one week before she disappeared. Jennifer Kesse, 24, worked as a finance manager at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ocoee. In 2018, Orlando Rolon became the Orlando police chief. After that, I believe she was abducted," he said. When police opened the trunk, Jennifer wasn't there. "You have keys to all the apartments. At the time she vanished, she was living in Orlando. Chino: I even did a lie detector test. But Torretta struck out when he tried to find those workers who he believes lived in the vacant apartment across from Jennifer. She might not have had a chance to fight back, Torretta told FOX News. I'm not with you " and a little insecurity. Kesse vanished from her Orlando condo on January 23rd. Jennifer is definitely the most loyal person I've ever been friends with or probably ever known. In March 2012, Stoy published an explosive new look into the investigation that remains with the Orlando Police Department to this day. Joel Wright stated he believes the abduction took place in the morning due to a tip he received on Thursday, the day Jennifers car was found. Det. She moved into the complex just weeks after Jennifer disappeared. Sgt. She carried pepper spray with her all the time. CHINO: Everything was normal. I had never heard of that happening. That witness, who spoke anonymously to the news outlet, said she believes she saw the black Chevy Malibu swerving near the exit to Kesses condominium on the morning of January 24, 2006. Jennifer graduated from Vivian Gaither High School in Tampa before attending the University of Central Florida, where she was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Roger Brennan [2008]: There was some vacuuming samples taken from each section of the vehicle that were subsequently sent off to the lab for evaluation. Peter Van Sant [2008]: What do you know about this person's height? Her parents did notice, however, that Jennifer's phone, keys and purse were missing. Joel Wright [2008]: Now the clothing looks to be maybe someone who is a painter or some type of worker. NEWS REPORT: For the past two days dive crews have been out on the water. He says it could have been one or more of these workers who abducted her. Chino was a name Detective Wright had not heard before. Two Were Arrested in Connection to Billions in Hacked Bitcoin. She graduated with honours in 2003 with a degree in finance. FOX News recently obtained evidence photos that suggest a struggle occurred on the hood of the car. Chief Rolon gave his investigators six months to work the case. Kesse's family said FDLE's cold case unit will take over and essentially restart the investigation into the Orlando woman's 2006 . Complicating the investigation many of the workers disappeared before police could talk to them. Jennifer is described as a 24-year-old woman with sandy blonde hair, green eyes, standing at 5'7" to 5'8" tall and weighing around 130 pounds. Surveillance footage shows an unknown individual parking Kesses vehicle at the apartment complex around noon on January 24. Joel Wright [2008]: We've done quite a bit of measuring and work with the camera angles. Drew Kesse: But police were very quick to shut us down on certain things. Joyce Kesse: Her travel bag. I would say 75 percent of the time somebody was there . It looks like a man. Security footage installed at the complex captured an individual seen driving and parking Jennifer's car on day she went missing. Louis Bolden: The community just rallied. But Who Did It? He believes the abduction took place at approximately 7:30 am. Did you ever meet her? Clockwise from top left, Ashley, Peter Van Sant, Colleen and Tami. We hope that by showing the public these photos, someone will come forward with information theyve been holding onto for all these years.. The rest of the home looked like a maid had been there . The 24-year-old woman was last heard from. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer worked as a finance manager at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ocoee. In 2008, Sgt. Peter Van Sant: Where were you the morning of January 24th, 2006? They were also allowed to live in vacant units, according to police records. If you have any information about Jennifer Kesse's disappearance, please visit the "Find Jennifer Kesse" Facebook page. Peter Van Sant: Now you were the maintenance man there. He thinks it was one or more of these workers who abducted her on January 24, 2006. JOYCE KESSE: Where is she? On the two-year anniversary of Jennifer Kesse's disappearance, her family and friends gathered on a street corner and held up signs, just as they had done the day Jennifer went missing. The case centers on Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared on January 24, 2006, when she didn't show up for work. And I said, "are you kidding me?". "The hole in our heart is forever there until we have an answer," Joyce Kesse said. They feared that time was running out. Louis Bolden: People just wanted to help them. Jennifer Kesse, who had lived and worked in the same condominium complex as Chino, had been identified as the maintenance worker. Kesse stated she was frightened of some of the construction workers. [Takes a deep breath with tears in her eyes]. Tiger King Star Carole Baskin Says Missing Husband Is Alive and Well in Costa Rica, missing Florida woman who vanished nearly 15 years ago. Authorities announced they were looking for a person of interest in Kesse's disappearance after reviewing surveillance tapes in the area where her car was found. Drew Kesse: We have to find her as quickly as possible because the more time that passes the less chance we have and the worse it's going to be. Louis Bolden: At the time, we thought, "They want what? Det. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In 2008, on the second anniversary of Jennifer's disappearance, family and friends gathered on a street corner in Orlando. She was employed as a financial analyst at a timeshare in Ocoee, Florida at the time of her disappearance. Chino wasnt interviewed until Joel considered him a suspect in 2008. Rob Allen: That's just not something that even came in my mind. And as more time went by, the Kesses grew frustrated with the Orlando Police Department's investigation. Kesse was last contacted via cellular phone at approximately 10:00 p.m. on January 24, 2006. Kesses parents said their daughter did not feel comfortable around building maintenance workers. After all the interviews and reviewing the case file, Torretta says he now has a new theory as to what could have happened to Jennifer Kesse. Getting along fine? Chino also told him, "I don't have any idea what happened to her." You know, getting married and having children and becoming a grownup and just living life; just having her life, you know. Crimeline. Her condo complex was undergoing a renovation, and many of the workers had been living in the empty condos. In 2019, local police came out with a dive team, but no carpet was found. Joel Wright | Orlando Police Department: It. Michael Torretta: That's why it's very interesting to me. Logan Kesse [2008]: [emotional] It's your sister, it's your family, it's your blood. And made it as far as her car. Chino. Jennifer had a creepy co-worker who was apparently obsessed with her, and she had an ex-boyfriend who was drinking at a bar not far from her apartment on the night that she was last seen. Using Jennifer's apartment as their headquarters, they began their own media blitz. Based on interviews with people who lived at the complex, he believes that up to 10 construction workers were living in an empty apartment just across from Jennifer's. JENNIFER KESSE - THE NUMBER ONE SUSPECT? That was the last time he would ever speak to Jennifer again. She graduated from University of Central Florida in 2003 and earned a degree in finance. Det. Pic credit: Orlando Police Dept. Joyce Kesse: I refuse to let her be forgotten until she is found. Tami: He was pleasuring himself in the corner of my patio. The surveillance video took a photo every 3 seconds and each time, the person's face was obstructed by a fence post. A new witness has also been found. You unfortunately take things for granted. Det. In honor of her birthday, Jennifer's parents are encouraging people to celebrate life Saturday by giving blood at their local blood banks. Sgt. Colleen: We were a gated community. She was just really happy. "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. She deserved that. Peter Van Sant: The last time police officially questioned Chino was back in 2009. "My best friend said to me after the trip, 'Oh, you're in love and you just don't want to admit it,'" Allen said. Although he wasn't in charge during the initial investigation, he sympathizes with the Kesses. DREW KESSE: We don't have her. The Kesses told police that Jennifer had complained to them about the workers at the building who occasionally made her feel uncomfortable. Nothing had been stolen from the car and there was no evidence of a struggle. Rob Allen: We did the long distance, but after the initial date we started spending virtually every weekend together. Sgt. Wright discovered that Chino was known to be working with the head of maintenance ''Ben'' the worker that Logan had an argument with the morning Jennifer disappeared. The canvassing started then and then it got more intense as the days went on and we eventually had horses and helicopters and everything else up in the air looking around. Two days later, her black Chevy Malibu was found at an apartment complex in a high-crime area of Orlando, about a mile from her condo. The Kesse family, Drew, father, Joyce,mother, and Logan, brother, participate in a press conference Wednesday, January 24, 2018 marking 12 years since the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. But she says no one ever followed up with her. Tami: From the very beginning there were some uneasy things that I kind of brushed off that were red flags. It was so out of character for Jennifer to not respond, her friends and family rushed to her condo. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Joel Wright: At that point I thought the investigation was kicking into gear. A disturbing piece of information that i haven't read anywhere is that one of the reasons Jennifer was uncomfortable with the workers is because they would come to her apartment and do a half ass job. Joyce Kesse: A lot of your day laborers are, um, not here, uh, legally. The only thing police can determine for sure is that the suspect was between 5'3" and 5'5 inches tall . Now, Drew and Joyce Kesse hope they will solve their missing daughter's case. It all suggests that whatever happened likely occurred after she had left her home that morning. The Poison Pen: Who Wrote the Circleville Letters? Drew Kesse: So, to me, they don't have DNA. Brennan shared evidence photos. Peter Van Sant: How often would you socialize with him? Michael Torretta: I think it's important because it paints a picture that I don't believe I would have gotten from the 16,000 documents. I don't hear helicopters in the air.". Chief Orlando Rolon: After the number of years that we have spent trying to solve Jennifer's disappearance, I think it was time to also honor the wishes of the family. Air Date: Jul 10, 2021 Lauren McCarthy: The reasons she bought the place that she did was because it was a gated community with a guard. Search dogs picked up a scent trail leading from her parked car back to her condo, suggesting the suspect might have returned to her condominium's parking lot after abandoning the car. Michael Torretta: That was one of the most shocking parts of this investigation. Joyce Kesse [2008]: God love Jennifer. Sgt. Influencivenews; Entrepreneurmindz; Insiderlyfe; Thursday, December 29, 2022. . Ashley: I sat on it for a little bit. Kesse's family says they are now convinced the image of the black Chevrolet . Kesse is a 2003 graduate of the University of Central Florida; her degree is in finance. Start to work. And their conversation didn't end well. One theory is that Kesse may have been attacked by a construction worker at her condo. Wright was able to speak with Ben and he admitted that both he and Chino worked in Jennifers condo the week before Jennifer went on her vacation. That afternoon Jennifer's brother, Logan, began to question some of the construction workers at the complex. Frustrated with the Orlando Police Department's handling . Peter Van Sant [2008]: Do you think the car was cleaned by someone? Michael Torretta: She's locking the door and never sees it comin'. They want the police department's files?" So, what does everyone think of the new details? On Tuesday, January 24, 2006, Jennifer Kesse's parents received a call that Jennifer didn't show up for work. Sgt. Chino was already in custody for a statutory rape charge at the time. Some brand new details and information was revealed during the episode and it wasn't just a rehash of old information. She also was recently promoted at her job where she worked as a project manager for a time-share company. Michael Torretta: When you talk about challenging investigations, this is the one. And he, denied any kind of wrongdoing. She had a great job. Detective Joel Wright was still trying to solve this confounding mystery. Roger Brennan [2008]: As we were driving around the area around her complex, we were trying to identify different areas that her vehicle may have been seen. They kept suggesting that she must have had a fight with her boyfriend and would be back. OK, call the police again.". She received numerous job offers and took a job at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ococee, Florida. She was on a cloud. When asked about the surveillance footage and the POI former detective Joel Wright stated he had a source that used to be a housekeeper in the condo complex. ", Peter Van Sant: Do you believe anyone realistically has been working this case in recent years?". Some brand new details and information was revealed during the episode and it wasn't just a rehash of old information. Jennifer Kesse was 24 years old and living in Orlando Florida. Drew Kesse: It was never secured by Orlando Police. That day, Chino took a polygraph test and he passed. . When he showed the woman the security camera photo of the unidentified person, she told him it resembled a man she knew from the complex known as Chino because of his hair, clothing and the way he walked. Sgt. But there were no big headlines and Torretta presses on. First published on October 24, 2020 / 10:14 PM. Lauren McCarthy: She was always on the radar with everybody. 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